U.S. patent number 6,199,335 [Application Number 09/148,890] was granted by the patent office on 2001-03-13 for floor structure for use on ice and the method of using the same.
This patent grant is currently assigned to SpaceAge Synthetics, Inc.. Invention is credited to Arnold G. Althoff, Stephen E. Brenot, Randy M. Schneider.
United States Patent |
6,199,335 |
Brenot , et al. |
March 13, 2001 |
Floor structure for use on ice and the method of using the same
Abstract
A floor structure for use on an ice surface includes sheets of
rigid, lightweight material each having a topside and a bottom side
which includes a margin and geometric recesses and recess dividers.
Only the margins and recess dividers are in contact with the ice
surface when this floor structure is laid upon the ice. The recess
dividers effectively seal the geometric recesses creating sealed
pockets which trap ambient air thus creating a thermal insulating
effect which substantially prevents the coldness from the ice from
penetrating the sheets to the topsides and prevents condensation
from forming on the topsides making it safe for the users to move
about upon this floor structure unlike other floor structures which
are used on ice. In addition, this floor structure does not stick
or freeze to the ice unlike the other floor structures, because it
has a substantially smaller surface area which is in direct contact
with the ice, making it much easier to remove and reuse.
Inventors: |
Brenot; Stephen E. (Fergus
Falls, MN), Althoff; Arnold G. (Hankinson, ND),
Schneider; Randy M. (Fargo, ND) |
Assignee: |
SpaceAge Synthetics, Inc.
(Fargo, ND)
|
Family
ID: |
22527887 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/148,890 |
Filed: |
September 8, 1998 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/480; 472/90;
472/92; 52/177; 52/180 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63C
19/04 (20130101); E04F 15/10 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47L
23/00 (20060101); A47L 23/22 (20060101); A63C
19/00 (20060101); A63C 19/04 (20060101); E04F
15/10 (20060101); E04B 005/43 () |
Field of
Search: |
;52/177,180,6,480,592.1,566.1,731.3,732.2,650.3,100
;428/116,118,179,180,913 ;472/88,90,92 ;404/35,36,41 ;108/13 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Friedman; Carl D.
Assistant Examiner: Horton; Yvonne M.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A floor system which comprises:
a sheet of ice comprising an upper ice surface; and
a floor assembly disposed on said upper surface, wherein said floor
assembly comprises upper and lower floor assembly surfaces, wherein
said upper floor assembly surface at last generally projects away
from said upper ice surface, wherein said lower floor assembly
surface at least generally projects toward said upper ice surface,
wherein at least a portion of said lower floor assembly surface
contacts said upper ice surface, wherein said lower floor assembly
surface comprises a plurality of recesses which define a plurality
of spaces between said floor assembly and said sheet of ice, and
wherein said floor assembly comprises a rigid material.
2. A system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
said floor assembly comprises a plurality of individual floor
sections, wherein adjacent floor sections are disposed in abutting
engagement.
3. A system, as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:
fasteners which interconnect said adjacent said floor sections.
4. A system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
said upper floor assembly surface is at least substantially
flat.
5. A system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
said floor assembly comprises a thermal insulating material.
6. A system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
said floor assembly comprises a rigid polyurethane foam.
7. A system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
said floor assembly comprises a material which at least
substantially prevents condensation from forming on said upper
floor assembly surface.
8. A system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
said floor assembly comprises a material which at least
substantially prevents coldness from said sheet of ice from
penetrating through said floor assembly to said upper floor
assembly surface.
9. A system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
said plurality of recesses are disposed in spaced relation on said
lower floor assembly surface.
10. A system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
said plurality of recesses define a waffle-like pattern on said
lower floor assembly surface.
11. A system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
said floor assembly comprises a first floor section, wherein said
lower floor assembly surface of said first floor section comprises
a perimeter section and a divider section between, adjacent
recesses, wherein contact between said lower floor assembly surface
of said first floor section and said upper ice surface is limited
to said perimeter section and said divider sections.
12. A system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
an amount of area of said lower floor assembly surface which
contacts said upper ice surface is small in relation to an area
which is covered by said floor assembly.
13. A system, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
means for trapping ambient air within each of said plurality of
recesses.
14. A system, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
means for sealing said lower floor assembly surface about each of
said plurality of recesses.
15. A method of assembling a floor system which comprises the steps
of:
providing a sheet of ice which comprises an upper ice surface;
disposing a floor assembly on said upper ice surface;
trapping ambient air between said floor assembly and said upper ice
surface in a plurality of discrete and spaced recesses, wherein
said plurality of recesses are formed in a lower floor assembly
surface of said floor assembly; and
reducing heat transfer from said sheet of ice through said floor
assembly to an upper floor assembly surface, wherein said reducing
heat transfer step comprises said trapping step.
16. A method, as claimed in claim 15, further comprising the step
of:
reducing a potential for condensation formation on an upper floor
assembly surface of said floor assembly.
17. A method, as claimed in claim 16, wherein:
said reducing step comprises said trapping step.
18. A floor system which comprises:
a sheet of ice comprising an upper ice surface; and
a floor assembly disposed on said upper ice surface, wherein said
floor assembly comprises upper and lower floor assembly surfaces,
wherein said upper floor assembly surface at least generally
projects away from said upper ice surface, wherein said lower floor
assembly surface at least generally projects toward said upper ice
surface, wherein at least a portion of said lower floor assembly
surface contacts said upper ice surface, wherein said lower floor
assembly surface comprises a plurality of recesses which define a
plurality of spaces between said floor assembly and is said sheet
of ice, and wherein said floor assembly comprises a rigid
polyurethane foam.
19. A floor system which comprises:
a sheet of ice comprising an upper ice surface; and
a floor assembly disposed on said upper ice surface, wherein said
floor assembly comprises upper and lower floor assembly surfaces,
wherein said upper floor assembly surface at least generally
projects away from said upper ice surface, wherein said lower floor
assembly surface at least generally projects toward said upper ice
surface, wherein at least a portion of said lower floor assembly
surface contacts said upper ice surface, wherein said lower floor
assembly surface comprises a plurality of recesses which define a
plurality of spaces between said floor assembly and said sheet of
ice, wherein said floor assembly comprises a first floor section,
wherein said lower floor assembly surface of said first floor
section comprises a perimeter section and a divider section between
adjacent recesses, and wherein contact between said lower floor
assembly surface of said first floor section and said upper ice
surface is limited to said perimeter section and said divider
sections.
20. A system, as claimed in claim 19, wherein:
said floor assembly comprises a plurality of individual floor
sections, wherein adjacent floor sections are disposed in abutting
engagement.
21. A system, as claimed in claim 20, further comprising:
fasteners which interconnect said adjacent floor sections.
22. A system, as claimed in claim 19, wherein:
said upper floor assembly surface is at least substantially
flat.
23. A system, as claimed in claim 19, wherein:
said floor assembly comprises a rigid material.
24. A system, as claimed in claim 19, wherein:
said floor assembly comprises a thermal insulating material.
25. A system, as claimed in claim 19, wherein:
said floor assembly comprises a rigid polyurethane foam.
26. A system, as claimed in claim 19, wherein:
said floor assembly comprises a material which at least
substantially prevents condensation from forming on said upper
floor assembly surface.
27. A system, as claimed in claim 19, wherein:
said floor assembly comprises a material which at least
substantially prevents coldness from said sheet of ice from
penetrating through said floor assembly to said upper floor
assembly surface.
28. A system, as claimed in claim 19, wherein:
said plurality of recesses are disposed in spaced relation on said
lower floor assembly surface.
29. A system, as claimed in claim 19, wherein:
said plurality of recesses define a waffle-like pattern on said
lower floor assembly surface.
30. A system, as claimed in claim 19, wherein:
an amount of area of said lower floor assembly surface which
contacts said upper ice surface is small in relation to an area
which is covered by said floor assembly.
31. A system, as claimed in claim 19, further comprising:
means for trapping ambient air within each of said plurality of
recesses.
32. A system, as claimed in claim 19, further comprising:
means for sealing said lower floor assembly surface about each of
said plurality of recesses.
33. A floor system which comprises:
a sheet of ice comprising an upper ice surface; and
a floor assembly disposed on said upper ice surface, wherein said
floor assembly comprises upper and lower floor assembly surfaces,
wherein said upper floor assembly surface at least generally
projects away from said upper ice surface, wherein said lower floor
assembly surface at least generally projects toward said upper ice
surface, wherein at least a portion of said lower floor assembly
surface contacts said upper ice surface, wherein said lower floor
assembly surface comprises a plurality of recesses which define a
plurality of spaces between said floor assembly and said sheet of
ice, wherein said floor assembly comprises a plurality of
individual floor sections, wherein adjacent floor sections are
disposed in abutting engagement, and wherein said floor assembly
further comprises fasteners which interconnect said adjacent floor
sections.
34. A system, as claimed in claim 33, wherein:
said upper floor assembly surface is at least substantially
flat.
35. A system, as claimed in claim 33, wherein.
said floor assembly comprises a rigid material.
36. A system, as claimed in claim 33, wherein:
said floor assembly comprises a thermal insulating material.
37. A system, as claimed in claim 33, wherein:
said floor assembly comprises a rigid polyurethane foam.
38. A system, as claimed in claim 33, wherein:
said floor assembly comprises a material which at least
substantially prevents condensation from forming on said upper
floor assembly surface.
39. A system, as claimed in claim 33, wherein:
said floor assembly comprises a material which at least
substantially prevents coldness from said sheet of ice from
penetrating through said floor assembly to said upper floor
assembly surface.
40. A system, as claimed in claim 33, wherein:
said plurality of recesses are disposed in spaced relation on said
lower floor assembly surface.
41. A system, as claimed in claim 33, wherein:
said plurality of recesses define a waffle-like pattern on said
lower floor assembly surface.
42. A system, as claimed in claim 33, wherein:
said lower floor assembly surface of said first floor section
comprises a perimeter section and a divider section between
adjacent recesses, and wherein contact between said lower floor
assembly surface of said first floor section and said upper ice
surface is limited to said perimeter section and said divider
sections.
43. A system, as claimed in claim 33, wherein:
an amount of area of said lower floor assembly surface which
contacts said upper ice surface is small in relation to an area
which is covered by said floor assembly.
44. A system, as claimed in claim 33, further comprising:
means for trapping ambient air within each of said plurality of
recesses.
45. A system, as claimed in claim 33, further comprising:
means for sealing said lower floor assembly surface about each of
said plurality of recesses.
46. A method of assembling a floor system which comprises the steps
of:
providing a sheet of ice which comprises an upper ice surface;
disposing a floor assembly on said upper ice surface;
trapping ambient air between said floor assembly and said upper ice
surface in a plurality of discrete and spaced recesses, wherein
said plurality of recesses are formed in a lower floor assembly of
said floor assembly; and
reducing a potential for condensation formation on an upper floor
assembly surface of said floor assembly, wherein said reducing step
comprises said trapping step.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a floor structure for use on ice and the
method of using the same which allows the use of ice rinks for
purposes other than just for ice skating without the ice ever
having to be melted.
Ice rinks either indoors or outdoors are a common sight and in most
cases are set up year round for recreational purposes. It would be
cost prohibited either if the arenas all were set up with ice rinks
and could not be used for anything else or the ice in the arenas
would have to be melted in order for the arenas to be used for some
other types of events and then the ice rinks would have to be
reformed after the other types of events were finished. To avoid
having to do the latter each time, most operators of the arenas
have used flat boards such as plywood and simply wood-like portable
floors such as is commonly seen for basketball floors which are
foldable wood-like floors having flat bottom sides and which are
laid out upon the ice. The problems with these types of floors are
that (1) they don't have any kind of insulation and as a result,
the coldness from the ice penetrates through the floors and causes
condensation to form on the top sides of the floors making the
floors essentially slippery and dangerous and unusable, and also
(2) they tend to stick to the ice making it very hard to remove
after use. However, the present invention overcomes all of these
problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a floor structure for use on ice
and the method of using the same includes a plurality of sheets of
substantially rigid lightweight material each of which includes a
generally flat, smooth topside capable of being walked upon by
users and a bottom side having a generally flat, uniform border
extending at the edge thereof and a plurality of geometric recesses
each of which are tapered in depth or has side walls which are
tapered inwardly to provide added strength and stability to the
sheets. Each of the geometric recesses has a particular geometric
shape such as a square, rectangle, and circle. The geometric
recesses are arranged in a waffle-like pattern between the margin
and with a plurality of recess dividers separating the geometric
recesses. The sheets also have thermal insulation properties. These
sheets of rigid material are placed on the ice surface with the
recess dividers and the flat margins of the bottom sides resting
essentially flush upon the ice surface, and are engageably placed
side-by-side to form a floor structure. Ambient air is trapped
inside the recesses between the ice and the sheets of material thus
creating an thermal insulating means.
One objective of the present invention is to provide a floor
structure for use on ice which has insulating means and prevents
the coldness from penetrating through the floor structure and
causing condensation to form on the topside or access side of the
floor structure.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a floor
structure for use on ice which can be conveniently and quickly
placed upon the ice and then be easily and quickly removed from the
ice after use without the floor structure having been stuck to the
ice.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent as the description proceeds and when taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view of the floor structure for use
on ice.
FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the floor structure for use on
ice.
FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of another embodiment of the
floor structure for use on ice.
FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of yet another embodiment of
the floor structure for use on ice.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to the drawings in FIGS. 1-3, in particular, the floor
structure for use on ice and the method of forming the same
comprises a plurality of sheets 15 of rigid lightweight material
each of which preferably has a predetermined thickness of
approximately one inch but the thickness can vary depending upon
the need. Each of these sheets 15 has an essentially flat, smooth
topside 16 or user access side capable of being moved about upon
and further has a bottom side 17 having an essentially flat uniform
margin 22 of a pre-determined width extending along the edge
thereof and further having a plurality of geometric recesses 20
arranged in an essentially waffle-like pattern such that the
geometric recesses 20 are arranged side-by-side and end-to-end with
a plurality of the geometric recesses 20 having at least one side
adjoining the margin 22. All other geometric recesses 20 have sides
and ends which essentially adjoin the sides and ends of the other
geometric recesses 20. A plurality of recess dividers 25 or
grid-like members essentially extend between the geometric recesses
20. Each of the geometric recesses 20 are tapered in depth with
each side of the recesses 20 being tapered inwardly to add strength
and stability to the sheets 15. Each of the recesses 20 has a depth
of approximately one inch but this depth may vary depending upon
the need. The geometric recesses 20 in combination with the ice
surface effectively form sealed pockets which effectively
encapsulates and traps the ambient air to substantially effect a
thermal insulating means which prevents the coldness including the
cold air caused by the ice from penetrating through the sheets 15
and forming condensation on the topsides 16 thereof. In addition to
these thermal insulating means effected by the sealed pockets in
combination with the ambient air, each sheet has additional thermal
insulating properties effected by certain thermal insulating
materials including polyurethane foam to further prevent the
coldness from penetrating the sheet and causing the topside 16 to
become slippery. These sheets 15 are not intended to be used as
permanent floors on the ice but are intended to be used as
temporary floors which must be constructed for easy and convenient
handling by the operators who set up the sheets 15 upon the ice to
form a floor structure. Preferably, for easy handling, the sheets
15 are approximately four feet wide and eight feet long but the
sheets 15 can have different sizes depending upon the situation and
need. Further, the sheets 15 are preferably one inch thick but
again, the thickness can vary depending upon the need.
To form the floor structure, the user places the sheets 15 upon the
ice surface with the bottom side 17 facing the ice surface and the
recess dividers 25 and the margins 22 on the bottom sides of the
sheets 15 resting essentially flush upon the ice. The sheets 15 are
arranged side-by-side and end-to-end and covers as much of the ice
surface as desired by the operator. To keep the sheets 15
essentially together, conventional fastening means are used. Only
the margins 22 and the recess dividers 25 come into contact with
the ice and effectively seal the geometric recesses 20 essentially
trapping ambient air therein. These sheets 15 have a very small
amount of surface area which is in contact or engaged with the ice
unlike other types of sheets such as plywood of which are commonly
used for flooring on ice. Because of this small surface area, these
sheets 15 do not freeze nor stick to the ice unlike sheets of
plywood. Further, when these sheets 15 are placed upon the ice
surface, the geometric recesses 20 in combination with the ice form
sealed pockets which trap ambient air thus creating a thermal
insulating means. Any coldness emanating from the ice is
effectively prevented from penetrating through the sheets 15
because of this thermal insulating means comprising trapped ambient
air which acts as a barrier. To further enhance their insulating
effects, these sheets 15 are made from material such as
polyurethane foam which have thermal insulating properties.
Substantially no coldness from the ice penetrates these sheets 15
to the topsides 16 thereof. Thus the topsides 16 of these sheets 15
remain dry and substantially warmer than if the sheets were made of
plywood. Thus making it safe for the users to walk or move
thereupon. When this floor structure isn't needed anymore, the
conventional fastening means are easily removed and each sheet
picked up off the ice surface with little or no difficulty. Because
of the lack of surface area being in contact with the ice, these
sheets 15 do not stick to the ice surface, and since they are
lightweight they can be easily carried off the ice.
Various changes and departures may be made to the invention without
departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Accordingly, it is not
intended that the invention be limited to that specifically
described in the specification or as illustrated in the drawings
but only as set forth in the claims.
* * * * *